Jobs working with animals?

Question

Im thinking about going to chicago state in the fall. I want to be be a vet , but im not good in chemistry. Is their any other jobs that deal with animals, that I can have a career out of???

Answer 1

Yes.  Besides a veterinarian, there are also a Wildlife Biologist, a Marine Biologist, and a Zoologist.  Another type of career that works with animals but is rather exotic is a Venomologist.  

I checked out Chicago University's website.  I do not see any majors that deal with animals.  Chicago University specials in Pharmacy studies.  

If you are really, really interested in working with animals, then I would suggest checking out the link below.  

Be careful though.  If you major in just Zoology or Wildlife Biology, you will not be very marketable.  I would recommend that you major in a field of Biology that will allow you to compete for a variety of jobs dealing with many types of biology, as well as zoology.

Answer 2

I suggest trying for zoo keeper. You'd be cleaning out their cages, preparing their meals, etc. I myself hope to get a job at the Memphis Zoo in a few years. I'm planning on getting a job at a small local zoo, work there for a few years, and then try to get a job at Memphis. Good luck to you as well.

By the way, what animals do you want to care for the most? I want to either work in the big cat exhibit or the night animals exhibit at Memphis.

Answer 3

If you want to be a veterinarian, the best IL college to go to would be University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana campus.  It has an Animal Science degree program that will pretty much set you up with all the pre-requisites for Vet School.  Not to mention that the IL vet school is on the same campus, so it will help you out a little bit if you are already familiar with some of the staff, campus, etc.

Unfortunately, you do have to take some chemistry, but I think its pretty much Chem 101, 102, Organic I and II, and Biochem.  The chem classes have decent curves, so its not impossible to pass them if you're not the best at Chemistry...and you just have to maul the rest of your courses with A's to keep your GPA up.

If you don't want to go that route, you can always do a Vet Tech program, which you can usually do in 2 yrs at a community college (the one by U of I in Champaign has a program for that...drawing a blank on the school name though)....but it would be less chem.

Other jobs would be like a zookeeper/animal caretaker (Animal Science degree would help you here too), or even something like Dog Grooming (which is a private program you can do, usually takes a few months, and then you work on commissions).

Hope some of this helps you!  I went to U of I, and loved their Ansci Program....you can always transfer there (and take some of your chem classes at a community college where they're easier!).

Answer 4

Almost any animal related job that you go to school for will require you to take chemistry.  Don't let that hold you back..just get a tutor and get through it.  I am terrible at Chemistry and still earned a zoology degree.  Had to take 3 Chemistry courses, plus labs, biochemistry, AND Organic Chemistry.  I did not get the greatest grades in these courses, but I passed them and by the end it got a lot easier.  O-chem and biochem are actually not that bad...it was regular chem that I had a problem with.